Using AndroGel, a popular testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) product, may increase the risk of heart attack in men over the age of 65, and younger men with a history of heart disease. Financial compensation may be available through the filing of an AndroGel Heart Attack Lawsuit as a result of the manufacturer’s failure to provide adequate warnings to consumers about this risk. Symptoms of a heart attack may include arm weakness, shortness of breath, and discomfort in other areas of the upper body.

Free Confidential Case Evaluation: If you or a loved one suffered a heart attack after taking AndroGel, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit and our lawyers can help.

Update: Jury Rules in Favor of Plaintiff in Retrial, Awards $3 Million to Heart Attack Victim

March 27, 2018 – A jury in Chicago on Monday ordered AbbVie Inc. to pay more than $3 million to a man who had a heart attack after taking AndroGel. While still considered a significant victory for plaintiff Jesse Mitchell, the $3 million is a far cry from the $150 million he was awarded during the first trial in December, which was tossed after U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly determined the verdict was “logically incompatible.”

Testosterone Supplements Double Heart Risk in Older Men

Using TRT supplements like AndroGel doubles the risk of heart attack among men over the age of 65, and nearly triples the risk in younger men with a history of heart disease, a recent study published in PLOS ONE shows. The research, which involved more than 55,000 men, is the latest in a series of studies raising concerns about the risk of heart attack from testosterone supplements, whose popularity has skyrocketed over the past several years.

Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota who was not involved in the PLOS ONE study, describes the heart attack risk posed by AndroGel as significant.

“That’s equivalent to smoking one or two packs of cigarettes a day, or having sky-high cholesterol,” Lopez-Jimenez said.

Symptoms of an AndroGel Heart Attack

A heart attack is characterized by the death of a portion of the heart muscle caused by the loss of oxygen-rich (red) blood. In most cases, the blood supply is lost because a coronary artery has a blood clot or blockage. If part of the heart muscle dies, the patient may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Chest pain

Chest discomfort

Chest pressure

Arm weakness

Shortness of breath

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body

The authors of the PLOS ONE study recommend that doctors discuss these risks with patients before prescribing AndroGel. Testosterone is often referred to as the ‘male hormone’ because it causes development of male sex organs, facial hair and other masculine traits.

Doctors often prescribe AndroGel to treat hypogonadism, which causes abnormally low testosterone levels. Research has shown that testosterone can improve sexual function, bone density, muscle mass and strength while lowering cholesterol and insulin resistance, a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes.

AbbVie, the company that makes AndroGel, markets the product directly to consumers, urging men to consider the symptoms of ‘low T,’ which are said to include energy loss, mood changes and decreased sex drive. These ads have been hugely successful.

In 2011 alone, over five million prescriptions were filled for testosterone boosters like AndroGel. The number of men using TRT tripled from 2001 to 2011, with the products now used by nearly 4% of American men. Yet only about half of testosterone supplement users have been diagnosed with hypogonadism, and 25% hadn’t even had their testosterone levels tested, according to the study. The rest of the men have been diagnosed with other problems such as fatigue or erectile dysfunction (ED).

First AndroGel Bellwether Ends in Mistrial

June 19, 2017 – The first attempt to hold AbbVie Inc. responsible for the side effects alleged from AndroGel has ended in a mistrial after the lead plaintiff’s attorney suffered from heart problems. Court documents indicate that the man was hospitalized with heart complications on June 10 and underwent an unspecified procedure, but has since been released and is now recovering back home.

March 30, 2016 – A woman from Indiana whose husband allegedly died from a massive heart attack after using AndroGel for about 4 years has filed a product liability lawsuit against AbbVie Inc. and Abbott Laboratories. Plaintiff claims that neither her husband nor his doctors were aware of the heart attack risks because of defendants’ failure to warn. As a result, the deceased could not have known “of the true risks associated with the use of AndroGel,” according to the complaint.

Do I Have an AndroGel Heart Attack Lawsuit?

The Product Liability & Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in AndroGel Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new heart attack cases in all 50 states.

Free Confidential Case Evaluation: Again, if you were injured by AndroGel side effects, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.